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Journal Article

Citation

Marzuk PM, Tardiff K, Smyth D, Stajic M, Leon AC. J. Am. Med. Assoc. JAMA 1992; 267(19): 2635-2637.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, American Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1573752

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To examine the association between recent cocaine use and risk taking, particularly in the form of playing Russian roulette, a paradigm for extreme risk-taking behavior. DESIGN--A case-control study. CASES AND CONTROLS--The prevalence of cocaine use among all Russian roulette fatalities (N = 14) was compared with a demographically similar, randomly selected sample (N = 54) of all suicides by handgun during a contemporaneous 4-year period in New York City, NY. RESULTS--Recent use of cocaine, the most common drug found at autopsy, was detected in 64% of Russian roulette fatalities and in 35% of the control group (P less than .05). All Russian roulette fatalities were male and usually young and unemployed. Blacks and Hispanics accounted for 80% of all cases and were overrepresented compared with their numbers in the general population. CONCLUSION--In some populations cocaine may be associated with life-threatening risk-taking behaviors.

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